Regence names new president for its Utah Plan

Published 11:00 AM ET Fri, 14 July 2017
Globe Newswire

Salt Lake City, July 14, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah is today announcing the appointment of James Swayze as plan president. As president, Swayze will be responsible for strategy development and execution for the company’s operations in the state, which serve a customer base of nearly a half million people. In addition to guiding market performance of the pioneering health insurer, Swayze will also represent and promote Regence in business and civic arenas throughout the state.

Swayze comes to his new role from the Denver metro area where he served for the past nine years as president and CEO of the state’s largest third party administrator of employee benefit plans. Prior to that, he held key leadership roles with such prominent Colorado health insurance firms as Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Secure Horizons, PacifiCare Health Systems and FHP Health Care. His responsibilities have included policy planning and implementation as well as direction and coordination of departments including production, pricing, sales, distribution of products, operations and clinical activities, and negotiation and approval of contracts and agreements with provider organizations, suppliers and vendors.

“At a time of such uncertainty in health care, we’re fortunate to find an executive of Jim’s caliber to lead Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah,” said Angela Dowling, chief revenue officer of Regence Health plans in Utah, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. “He’s energetic and creative and has a track record of getting things done. As we accelerate our drive to transform health care to become more person-focused and economically sustainable, Jim’s depth and breadth of health care management expertise will serve our plan and its growing base of Utah customers well.”

Swayze graduated from Ursinus College in Pennsylvania with a degree in economics and business administration.

While in Colorado, his community engagements included board service with the American Diabetes Association, the JDRF and Ronald McDonald House. He was also a volunteer soccer coach.

Swayze’s official start date is July 17.

About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah

Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, based in Salt Lake City, is the state’s first health insurer and now provides more than 490,000 members with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers in Utah and nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regenceutah, or twitter.com/regenceutah.